The Trump International Hotel + Tower is a residential and hotel development, located in Waikiki, Hawaii, located steps away form it’s famous white sand beaches. The project is the keystone of a 2 million square-foot redevelopment intended to revitalize the Waikiki retail and hotel district. Serving as the western gateway to the area, the hotel is symbolic of the district’s renewal. The 750,000-square foot tower comprises 462 residential and hotel units, several world class restaurants, an ocean view lobby bar, a sixth floor infinity pool and deck, a state of the art fitness center, a library as well as parking for 220 cars.

For the 38-story building, Guerin Glass sought to create comfortable, luxurious living units with dramatic ocean views with a design that evokes and responds to the exotic setting. In keeping with local tradition, the building exudes a distinctly Hawaiian sense of place and enhances the greater Waikiki environment through a strong facade, extensive landscaping, harmonious integration of the indoor and outdoor spaces, and the reference to traditional architectural motifs. Careful detailing and the consistent incorporation of traditional Hawaiian motifs root this advanced contemporary building in local tradition.

The design skews the typical residential floor plan to provide all units with views of the Pacific Ocean. The cast-in-place structural frame features fin walls and post-tensioned slabs that combine with the building’s overall geometry and the strong island light, creating a deep façade with shadow patterns similar to those found in traditional Polynesian weaving. The variety of building materials and the deeply recessed exterior not only help reduce the appearance of the building mass, especially at the street and hotel levels, but also captures the ever-changing light patterns unique to Hawaii.